Hamilton County Commissioners are expected to vote on a plan to move several county agencies to a building in Bond Hill currently used as a headquarters for Mercy Health and its parent company, Bon Secours.
If approved, the plan will move Hamilton County's Job and Family Services, Developmental Disabilities Services, Public Health, Environmental Services, Veterans Service Commission, and the Office of Addiction Response into the Bond Hill office space. Currently, those agency offices are located in several different buildings around town.
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County Administrator Jeff Aluotto says the move is being considered because it would lower the county's overall operating costs over time. The Mercy Health headquarters is in a newer building completed in 2016, while many county offices are stationed in older buildings, like the Alms & Doepke building, which was built in the 1870s and presently houses Job and Family Services.
The negotiated price of the Bond Hill building's sale totals $95 million. Aluotto says because Mercy Health has a business interest in moving out of the space, Mercy would contribute $30 million for the buyout cost, making the net price for the county $65 million.
On top of the potential financial benefits, Aluotto says the change would improve the work environment and shorten the commute for many county employees, while also making it easier for residents to access services due to the building's large parking lot and Bond Hill's centralized location within Hamilton County compared to Downtown.
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The change won't be immediate. If approved by commissioners, the county would then fully assess the purchase of the 368,477-square foot building before requesting bids and making plans to sell the county's older buildings.
"That would kick off a 60-day due diligence period," Aluotto said Thursday. "We would continue to look at everything from title exams, surveys, structural and mechanical assessments, service contracts associated with the building — everything you do when you buy a piece of real estate, just on steroids given the size and the nature of this building."
Commissioners are expected to vote on the purchase at their next staff meeting Sept. 10.
